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SPEECH AND SPEAKING TIPS 6 – 10

6‘AH’s’, ‘um ‘s’, ‘er’s’, and similar speech stumbles need to be avoided for the sake of fluency. Too many glitches may have the audience thinking you are unclear on your subject. Aim for ‘zero’.

Use notes as prompts, but try and avoid detailed reading. A speaker is more effective when speaking rather than being slavishly locked into notes. Notes can reduce the speaker’s confidence.

Consider vocalisation, the pitch, rhythm, intonation and vibrancy of voice. Live your message through your voice. Articulate carefully and correctly, and never come with a gabbling rush of words.
7
Messages delivered by presenters should be from the heart. Avoid (debates excepted) speaking on issues in which you have no belief. Avoid being a hypocritical presenter, a phyyric speaker.

When speaking, use POWERPOINT and props to support speech. Don’t read verbatim from power-points. KNOW your subject in case the power-point goes on the blink. Have a fallback position.

If an AUDIENCE MEMBER, take time to THANK presenters if you genuinely believe them to have delivered a quality message. Presenters value appreciation and with that constructive, skill honing advice.8If speaking to a paper, consider the speech first and distribution after. If audience members have the paper to hand while the presenter is presenting, they will focus on the paper, not the speaker.

‘AH’s’, ‘um’s’,’er’s’, and other speech glitches can happen unconsciously. Be aware and register them subconsciously as you speak. If aware, you can program them out of your speech. Try it – it works!

Using ‘metaphor’ and ‘anecdote’ to illustrate the point of discussion can be a very useful and identifying tool. “Likening phenomena unto…” using these illustrations identifies matter with audience.

9
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS often encourage audience members to follow particular courses of action. Don’t spruik if not prepared to do those things advocated for others. Avoid hypocrisy.

During or after presenting, aim to engage audience by INVITING QUESTIONS and responses relating to the topic. Allowing time for audience engagement helps reinforce the message that has been shared.

STORY-TELLING is a great entertaining option. Ask the audience to go into their mind’s eye, picture and visualise the story you are telling, so they too own what you are sharing. It is engaging.

10I think it important that presenters are about ENHANCING THEIR TOPIC and selling their message, rather than big-noting themselves. Self aggrandisement should not be a prime aim.

We need to work on building the speech and speaking skills of YOUNG PEOPLE. World-wide, there is an atrocious lack of speech confidence and accuracy shown by our next generation of adults.

As a leader consider SPEAKING AND LISTENING development for those working with you. Their gaining in confidence will impress and value add through perceptions held by those engaging your organisation.